Learn how to make this gorgeous buttercream flower cake! It’s made with tender vanilla cake layers and frosted with delicious homemade buttercream.

This design may look intimidating, but I promise you only have to make two types of buttercream swirls!! It’s a lot easier than you might think.

What You’ll Need to Make this Buttercream Flower Cake

To make this cake you’ll need a few different frosting tips! While this list might seem long, most (if not all) of the tips can be found in a majority of beginner frosting kits.

I’ve listed a couple of brands that make some of these tips, but there are tons of other brands that make them as well!

The most important thing is just that the shape and size of the tip you use are similar to what I recommend below.

• Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
• Whisk attachment
• Greaseproof Cake Board
• Spinning Cake Stand
• Large Offset Spatula
• Bench Scraper
• 4 Small Piping Bags
• Open Star Piping Tip like a Wilton 1M
• Small French Tip like an Ateco 862
• Small Round Piping Tip like a Wilton 10
• Leaf Piping Tip like a Wilton 366
• Very Small Round Piping Tip like a Wilton 3
• 3 Frosting Couplers

How to Make This Buttercream Flower Cake Recipe

To make sure this cake turns out as amazing as possible, let’s walk through each step together!

I’ve also included a video tutorial of the process below.

Step 1: Make the Fluffy Vanilla Cake Layers

I recommend making the cake layers first! It gives them time to bake and cool before you assemble the cake.

Once that batter is ready, divide it evenly between the prepared cake pans.

I like to use a digital kitchen scale to weigh my pans, to make sure my layers will be the same height.

Bake for 34-36 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate pans halfway through to help them bake evenly.

Allow the pans to cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.

Place cake layers into the freezer for 45 minutes to accelerate the cooling process.

Once the layers are fully cooled, carefully flip the pans and remove the layers from the pans.

Use a serrated knife to level the top of each cake layer, then set aside. If you make these in advance, wrap and freeze them at this point.

Step 2: Make the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

While the cake layers bake and cool, make the buttercream frosting.

I firmly believe that the best type of frosting for piping buttercream flowers is American buttercream!

It is super easy to make, is one of the most stable types of buttercream and it’s the easiest to color.

However, if you think American buttercream is too sweet, you can also use Swiss meringue buttercream or Italian meringue buttercream.

Wait to color the buttercream until the cake is crumb-coated.

Mix the frosting by hand with a rubber spatula for a couple of minutes once it’s made. This will give it a silky smooth consistency that makes it easier to pipe with.

If the frosting seems too thick, add in additional cream (1 Tbsp at a time). Or if the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (1/4 cup at a time).

If you’re not sure what consistency you’re looking for, check out my buttercream consistency guide.

Cover the frosting with plastic wrap to prevent it from crusting and set aside.

Step 3: Stack and Frost the Cake Layers

If possible, chill your cake layers in the freezer for 20 minutes before assembling the cake.

It makes them cold to the touch, which minimizes crumbing and makes them so much easier to frost and stack.

Spread about 1 Tbsp of frosting onto a greaseproof cake board or plate, then place your first cake layer on top of the frosting smear. This helps the layer stay in place as you assemble the cake.

Spread a thick, even layer of buttercream on top of the cake layer. Repeat with the remaining cake layers and flip the top cake layer upside down (cut side down). This makes it easier to frost your cake!

Once all the cake layers are stacked, spread a thin coat of frosting around the cake. Smooth using a bench scraper and/or large offset spatula, then chill the cake in the fridge (30 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.

Scoop about 1 cup of uncolored/white buttercream into a small piping bag fitted with an open star tip like a Wilton 1M, seal the top with a rubber band or clip, and set aside.

Color the remaining buttercream a light pink using a small squirt of gel food coloring. Stir until the frosting is evenly colored.

Use the pink buttercream to cover the chilled cake in a second layer of frosting. Use a large offset spatula and bench scraper to smooth the frosting. Place the cake in the fridge to chill while you color the remaining buttercream.

Scoop a quarter of the remaining buttercream into a small piping bag fitted with a coupler, seal the top, and set aside.

Divide the remaining buttercream evenly between three bowls, and color one of them green with gel food coloring.

Mix in a tiny bit of pink gel food coloring to make it more of a muted green. This will give the cake a more cohesive look (color theory is so cool!). Scoop the frosting into a small piping bag fitted with a coupler, seal the top, and set aside.

Color one of the bowls of frosting a medium pink using pink gel food coloring. Scoop the frosting into a small piping bag fitted with a coupler, seal the top, and set aside.

Color the last bowl a deep pink using more pink gel food coloring. Scoop the frosting into a small piping bag fitted with a coupler, seal the top, and set aside.

Step 4: Decorate This Buttercream Flower Cake

Remove the cake from the fridge. Use the white buttercream and a Wilton 1M tip to pipe large buttercream rosettes around the side of the cake, spacing them about a couple of inches apart.

Then use the three shades of pink fitted and a small French tip like an Ateco 862 to pipe small buttercream rosettes between the larger white rosettes.

Next, use the green buttercream and a small round tip like a Wilton 10 to pipe dots to look like flower buds in some of the remaining open spaces.

Open the coupler and swap the round tip for a leaf tip like a Wilton 366, then pipe some leaves around the flowers.

Fit one of the pink frosting bags with a small round piping tip like a Wilton 10, and pipe inside the green frosting “buds” to look like the flower is just starting to bloom.

Fit the dark pink frosting bag with a very small piping tip like a Wilton 3, and pipe small dots above and below the buttercream flowers, like in the pictures below. Then enjoy!

Substitutions & Swaps – Buttercream Flower Cake

Some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe include:

• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Cake Flour – If you can’t find cake flour, you can make your own makeshift cake flour using this method or use all-purpose flour. You can also swap in all-purpose flour or a good gluten-free flour blend (like this) if needed. Just be sure to stir the batter longer than normal to help give the cake proper structure, and let the batter sit for about 20 minutes before baking it if you opt to make a gluten-free version.
• Egg whites – I like to use the type that comes in a carton so that I don’t have to separate my eggs, but you can also use fresh egg whites or 4 large whole eggs. If you have an egg allergy you can try using a vegan egg replacer in the cake batter.
• Buttermilk – You can also use full-fat yogurt, sour cream, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat).
• Vegetable Oil – Use any flavorless oil in this recipe.

Substitutions & Swaps: American Buttercream Frosting

• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Heavy Cream – You can use whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) instead of heavy cream or whipping cream. This will thin the frosting out more though, so I recommend using about half the amount the recipe calls for.
• Gel Food Coloring – Natural food coloring or liquid food coloring can be used if needed to color the frosting. However, I find gel food coloring works best!

Tips for Making the Best Buttercream Flower Cake

• Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
• Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. It will make your cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
• Level your room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
• Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes it so much easier to stack and frost them!
• Use gel food coloring to create brightly colored frosting. It works best because it doesn’t throw off the consistency of the frosting or give it a bitter taste.
• If your hands run hot, wrap a paper towel or thin kitchen towel around your piping bag to prevent the transfer of heat from your hands into the frosting.

Making This Buttercream Flower Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

You can make these cake layers in advance and freeze them! It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.

Make the frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. Just be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to make it nice and smooth again. This cake can last in the fridge for up to a week.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. If you freeze the cake, transfer it to the fridge the night before you plan to eat it.

This will help it gradually thaw and minimize any temperature shock. Remove the cake from the fridge about 30 minutes before you plan to cut into it.

Let Me Know What You Think

If you make this buttercream flower cake, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts.

Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets on social media so I can see your amazing creations!

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